April 22, 2015
A passion for East Asian diplomacy
鈥淜orea-Japan relations hang by a hair.鈥�
鈥淭wo Koreas return to confrontation mode.鈥�
Lee visited Alishan National Scenic Area in Taiwan during his study abroad placement in 2013-14.Ben Lee
News headlines often imply fatalism about relations on the Korean peninsula, but 91探花 senior Benjamin Lee hopes to play a part in finding a peaceful resolution. A finalist this year for the Carnegie Endowment聽Junior Fellowship, he researches the similarities and differences between inter-Korean and cross-strait relations.
Fluency in Korean, Mandarin and English granted him access to a wider variety of sources during his research, including primary documents and even in-person interviews during his study abroad year in Taipei, Taiwan. With support from the 91探花Early Identification Program Presidential Scholarship and the Mary Gates Research Scholarship, he will present his Honors thesis on Taiwanese and South Korean diplomacy this May at the .
鈥淚 am very excited to share my research. A lot of scholars have compared how democratization differed between South Korea and Taiwan, but very few scholars have compared how South Korea handles North Korea and how Taiwan handles China. I felt I could contribute to existing scholarship in this way.鈥�
Born to Korean parents in Bloomington, Indiana, he moved to College Station, Texas before settling with them in Seoul for middle school. However, given the intense focus on test taking in South Korea, he and his family agreed that he would move away from his family to live in Shoreline, WA鈥攊ts close proximity to Asia made frequent visits were possible鈥攕o he could study in the U.S.
About the聽scholarships and fellowships
- 聽Designed to provide work experience and financial support to students with a serious interest in international affairs, this competitive, national one-year fellowship assigns fellows as research assistants to the endowment鈥檚 senior associates.
- 聽Awarded by the 91探花Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity to undergraduates with clear scholastic achievement, interest in research and graduate degree goals. Funding supports three quarters of faculty-guided research.
- :聽Supporting two quarters of faculty-guided research, 91探花undergraduates awarded the Mary Gates Research Scholarship deepen their inquiry into a discipline or project and join a growing community of Mary Gates Scholars.
- 聽Undergraduates, graduate and professional students are eligible for this competitive national fellowship that supports the acquisition of modern foreign languages or international studies competencies.
- Funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), this national scholarship supports聽undergraduate study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and typically underrepresented in study abroad.
- 聽Open to 91探花undergraduates from all three campuses, this scholarship supports study abroad for students with declared majors in social science or humanities.
If a solo international move in high school sounds bold, Lee can confirm.
鈥淟iving by myself in high school was very tough, but I think I matured through that鈥he freedom given to me came with a greater responsibility to my own life.鈥�
Given his background and interests, upon arriving at the 91探花he immersed himself in classes to help 鈥渃ontextualize the Korean conflict in a regional and global sense鈥� and to deepen his understanding of international conflicts. He is pursuing departmental honors in international studies and in Chinese, for which he received a FLAS Fellowship in 2012-13. The award helped him deepen his Mandarin fluency, allowed him to focus solely on his studies and grew his confidence.
鈥淚t felt like the U.S. government recognized me as someone who is valuable and worth investing in,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淚 feel like I have a moral duty to meet that expectation.鈥�
Though driven, Lee is modest about his academic achievements and unique background. Part of this comes naturally to the articulate and unpretentious undergrad, and some grew out of his experiences at UW. He vividly remembers meeting guest-speaker Robert Galucci, the Italian American academic and diplomat who was the chief U.S. negotiator during the North Korean nuclear crisis of 1994, who told him that intelligence helps any diplomat, but that humility is key.
He also learned to value constructive criticism from mentors like his advisor Associate Professor Deborah Porter, Professor Yong-Chool Ha and Professor David Bachman who critiqued, guided and helped him sharpen the focus of his thesis.
Beyond his dedication in the classroom, Taiwan was 鈥渁 life changing experience for me,鈥� Lee remembers, who spent the academic year abroad聽in Taipei as a 2013-14 Boren Scholar with additional support from a聽Fritz Scholarship. As the only student hailing from UW, he was pushed outside his comfort zone to befriend locals and practice his Mandarin. Inquisitive Taiwanese asked his opinions about the U.S. government shutdown while he heard their perspective on Chinese politics. He left feeling like an insider.
鈥淚 probably deepened my understanding about Taiwan more than any reading I could have done.鈥�
On a personal level, it was reading the book 鈥淲onder鈥� by R.J. Palacio while abroad that resonated the most. To him, the book underscored that 鈥渢he best way to make the world a better place is to be kinder to other people,鈥� an idea which has clearly directed his undergraduate research and future career aspirations in diplomacy.
Just as he reflects thoughtfully about his own evolution at the UW, he also speaks with boundless enthusiasm about the future and how he might contribute to peace in East Asia. One gets the feeling that he is just getting started.
91探花 students like Benjamin Lee are supported by the聽聽(OMSFA).聽OMSFA works with faculty, staff and student groups to identify and help promising students develop the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for local and national scholarships that help them expand their academic experience and follow their passions.